


The Case of Gloria Scott

by inheritanceofgeek



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Asexual Relationship, Asexual Sherlock, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, I promise!, M/M, TW: LGBT issues, Unilock, Various forms of discrimination based on sexuality, but it has a happy ending!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-06
Updated: 2014-07-14
Packaged: 2017-12-31 15:45:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1033461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inheritanceofgeek/pseuds/inheritanceofgeek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sherlock and Victor have been friends for a long time now. Sherlock has always known that Victor has feelings for him, but has never thought himself capable of loving another human in that way. That is until Gloria Scott, President of the LGBT Society comes with a curious case.</p><p>Someone is sending her threats that all seem to revolve around the upcoming LGBT ball. </p><p>Sherlock needs Victor's help to infiltrate the society in order to find out who is sending her these letters. </p><p>In trying to solve the case though, Sherlock learns that sexuality isn't as black and white as he once thought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [stitchy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stitchy/gifts).



> Part of a trade with Stitchy (Tallenough)
> 
> I promised her Vicklock, and she promised me a Bunny ^^
> 
> My love and thanks to my daughter, Wearitcounts, for being my Beta <3

Gloria Scott. Half Scottish. 21. BA English Literature. Bisexual. Heterosexual boyfriend of two years. LGBT* President. Owns two cats. Had Cornflakes, no, Frosties for breakfast. Sitting in on Sherlock’s Bed. Not invited. Victor let her in?

 

“Sherlock, right?” she asked “I hope you don’t mind me waiting here, Victor let me in.” Sherlock grinned and closed the door behind him.

“Ms Scott, you’re here to ask my advice.” He swept a pile of books, test tubes and clothes onto the floor and flopped down onto the newly revealed chair. “Keep your story brief and to the point”

“Yeah, my roommate recommended you, said you’d helped her out ” She began twisting a lock of blonde hair (Live Colour XXL – on sale in Boots). “Well, basically, I’ve been receiving these letters right, and at first I thought they were just the usual homophobic crap you get from the upper class Tory douchebags. You know, ‘Die Scum Die’, ‘You don’t belong here bitch’; it’s what I’d expect as President of the society, I’ve reported them to the higher ups but,” she rolled her eyes, “fat lot of use they were. So I just put them through the shredder. But recently they’ve begun to get, well, a little bit more serious...” she trailed off, handing Sherlock a bunch of letters from the depths of her bag.

Sherlock flicked through them. Not much could be deemed from them. The type of ink and the consistency across the letters, as well as the concentration and printing errors indicated that they were all from the University Library; in Calibri; font size 12. Spelling and grammar was to the expected standard for Cambridge. Nothing to differentiate them from any other typed letter. Even the envelopes were bought from the Uni Shop. All this told him was that someone from the University was sending these, which would have been obvious even to someone taking humanities. He allowed himself a smirk. Yes, Victor would have been able to deduce that much for himself.

He scanned over the letters now. They were less derogatory now and more focused towards her personal failings. Insults towards her leadership skills, how she was letting down the entire Student Union, calls for her resignation etc. Quite frankly it was only a 3 at this point. That was until he got to the last letter.

 

If you don’t quit in the next two weeks you’re going to get it. You and him. I’ll ruin you, ruin you both. Two weeks or you’re little party will be your last.

Melodramatic to say the least, but to the point. It was still a 3, but this woman needed his help now. He did have a heart, after all, no matter how much he might try and hide it. “Where were all these letters found, Ms Scott?” She shrugged.

“My pigeon hole at the SU. Anyone could have put it there, nobody would have noticed.”

“Have you shown anyone else these letters?”

“Just my boyfriend, Sam”

“I’ll keep a hold on them for now. Don’t tell anyone about this. Obviously I’ll need to let Victor know.”

“Right of course, yeah, I thought you’d need to.” she winked at him, heaven knows why.

“And I’ll need a list of all your members and their roles within the society. Official and unofficial. Oh, and I’ll need full membership for both me and Victor.”

“Right. I can email all of that to you easily enough. Wait, you think it’s someone in the society? No, it can’t be, why would-”

“You may leave now Ms Scott. I’ll be sure to keep you updated.” He showed her through the door and lay back down on his bed, hands resting on his chin as if in prayer. After a moment or two he picked up his phone and sent off a quick text to Victor.

Need you to be my boyfriend. Come to room immediately. – SH

*

“What the fuck?” Victor was in shock. After all Sherlock didn’t- as much as he liked Sherlock -the man wasn’t, just _wasn’t _, interested in him that way. Had made it perfectly clear right from the start that all he wanted was a friend, and that had suited him well for the past two and a bit years. Now all of a sudden, Sherlock was asking him, no, _telling _him, to be his boyfriend? He texted back.____

____??? – VT_ _ _ _

____A response came back immediately._ _ _ _

____Will explain when arrive. Japanese translations can wait till after case. – SH_ _ _ _

____Victor rolled his eyes. Of course, that mad genius was on a case. He also seemed to know what Victor was doing despite him not knowing himself that he was until he’d received the work from his tutor not ten minutes ago. No doubt down to how long he’d taken to reply or something. He shook his head. That man really was brilliant. He’d go far, that one. With a sigh he put his textbooks back in his bag and headed off._ _ _ _

____*_ _ _ _

____“Excellent, you’re here!” Said Sherlock, bounding to his feet, Victor was barely through the door before Sherlock was forcing him down into a seat. “So. Will you be my boyfriend?” Victor paused. The gleam in Sherlock’s eye indicated a case but… could it be something else?_ _ _ _

____“This is, this is for a case right? You’re not, you don’t want me to actually be your boyfriend?” Please be the latter, please be the latter, please be the latter._ _ _ _

____“Of course it’s for a case; I thought that was obvious? I’ve told you before, whilst I’m flattered by your interest, I have no desire to be romantically entwined with anyone. So, will you be my boyfriend?” Shot down again, thought Victor, but that was Sherlock’s way: blunt and to the point. But he was honored to be his friend. Everything else would be a cherry on the cake, so to speak._ _ _ _

____“So why do you want me?” asked Victor grinning to let Sherlock know it was fine, it was all fine._ _ _ _

____“There’s someone threatening the head of the LGBT society. I need to question the members, but, if I just started asking questions, they would grow suspicious. However,” the fire of the case was raging in his eyes now, “if they suspect I’m just an innocent young boy planning on coming out with his boyfriend at the LGBT Ball and worried about security, well then, that’s a different thing entirely.”_ _ _ _

____“So you want me to pose as your boyfriend and what, join you in these interrogations?”_ _ _ _

____“Essentially yes. Is that, is that ok with you?” he frowned “Do you have a problem with that? I can always find someone else, though, as you know, I do find your company invaluable. I can always find someone in a local club. I’ve had my offers. I could always take someone up on one, if you’d prefer.” No, he bloody well wouldn’t prefer. For many, many reasons. Some of which did not revolve around his feelings for Sherlock, but rather morals and rights and… ok, mainly feelings for Sherlock._ _ _ _

____“Mr Holmes,” he began putting on his best Public School Accent, the one he liked to tease Sherlock with, “would you do me the honor of walking out with me?”_ _ _ _

____“Oh, shut up.”_ _ _ _


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor and Trevor attend their first LGBT meeting as a couple. For the case of course.

Gloria sent them a list of the people in the society and their given roles. These ranged from ‘Susan Howard – Vice President’ to ‘Alan Pollock – Go-To Geek’. Sherlock ran down the list of names marking off his initial suspects. “You can’t tell anything by a name and description alone, but you can get a feel for them. Never underestimate people’s opinions Victor, they can tell you just as much about a person, even if they are full of lies. There will always be that grain of truth.”

“Still, no doubt we’re going to meet them all anyway.”

“Astute as ever, my dear Trevor.”

“Well, if we’re going to make the meeting we might as well get a shake on. Meeting starts at five, and we’ll want to get there early if we want to, um, mingle with the suspects.” Sherlock gave him an approving grin and the two darted from the room.

*

The meeting was pretty standard for such things. Gloria, Susan (19, Bio Chem, ¼ Welsh, gay, recently took up smoking again after quitting in sixth form), and Gloria’s boyfriend Sam (21, Geography, works part time at Hollister in order to pay for secret drug habit) were setting out chairs and snacks, none of which looked particularly nutritious. Though, pondered Victor, if Sherlock was forced into actually eating something for a change, he really didn’t mind what it was.

On the way over they’d agreed that, whilst they should look like they were deeply in love (a task not all that difficult for Victor, if he was honest), they should still look nervous around each other. They weren’t meant to be ‘out’ just yet. Hand holding and, as Sherlock put it, “Idiotic facial expressions similar to that of an attention-seeking kitten” were ok, but sitting on one another’s laps and making out every twenty minutes was a no-no. The idea made Sherlock feel a bit queasy, to be honest, all that saliva and sweat sloshing around. He didn’t understand why most of his classmates were so obsessed with it!

Still, holding Victor’s hand was nice. No. Not nice. It was, it was pleasant. Victor’s hands weren’t sweaty and sticky like he’d have imagined. They were cool and slightly callused from playing guitar (lessons in classical but secretly played electric, he discovered); sitting there talking to all these people, he felt grounded. Maybe he could persuade Victor to hold his hand more after the case was over? He’d store that thought on Victor’s Shelf in his Mind Palace for later inspection.

Sherlock was an excellent actor, thought Victor. He wasn’t his brash, no-nonsense friend anymore. He was shy and guarded, his booming laugh replaced with a tentative giggle. His entire face seemed to change. He seemed younger somehow. No. Not younger. He was behaving like he was actually 18. He’d known Sherlock was younger than him but, he’d always behaved like he was much older. Seeing him like this, enjoying himself, even if it was just for a case, well, it was a real pleasure. Throw into the mix the fact that Sherlock wouldn’t let go of his hand, and it felt like all his Christmases had come at once.

The LGBT people seemed no different to any other society. They ate pringles, talked about Eastenders, talked about why Eastenders was utter shit and how everyone should be reading Hamlet instead of watching mindless crap on the telly. They discussed the successes of the year, how proud Gloria was of the whole team for making over £1000 for “Mermaids,” a UK Support Agency for young people with gender identity issues.

“Right, on to the Ball. We’ve been granted £150 from the SU plus whatever we’ve got left in the pot and any money made on ticket sales so that gives us about £300. Which, well, it’s not a lot but we should be able to put on a good show. We’ll need caterers, a DJ,” Gloria began listing them on her fingers, “decorations, people to man the entrance--”

“We can take that in turns though.” Chimed in Susan

“Not if everyone’s going to pissed out of their heads.” Rebutted Sam, much to Susan’s annoyance. Problem with his language? No. Problem with him. Interesting.

“Yeah, we can’t all stay sober,” added Kim, “some of us actually want to have a good time!”

“Agreed,” nodded Gloria, “we could probably borrow some sober people from the SU’s Better Choices team, the Uni would insist they come anyway, make sure people get back to their Halls in one piece. We don’t want any Freshers collapsed on the floor. Does anyone else want to remain sober for the evening?”

Sherlock had discussed this with Gloria previously. He and Victor would check everyone who came into the Dance, that way he’d know exactly who was in the room and who wasn’t. The other doors would be shut and alarmed, only to be opened in case of fire. There was only one way in and one way out and he’d be there to oversee it all. It would also mean that he wouldn’t have to join in with the sweating masses. He might even be able to listen to the Bach on his iPod rather than the “90s Classic Dance Anthems” the group seemed to want played. Keeping in character, he raised a tentative hand “I- I mean, I don’t mind. I don’t really drink anyway so…”

“We can’t let the new Kid do it!” Declared Adam, “He’s meant to be spending the evening with his boyfriend, not checking ticket stubs!” Victor turned a bit red at this. It was one thing to pretend to be Sherlock’s boyfriend, to hold his hand in public, but to hear other people refer to him as such. It just, it seemed to natural thing to be called. And yet, Sherlock was married to his work…

“How long you two been fucking anyway?” asked Gabrielle. Ah yes. The Third Year, hockey-playing, pansexual from South London. Sherlock dropped Victor’s hand at this point and the two turned a matching shade of pink.

The group was split between giggles and looks of outrage. “Gabby, you can’t just ask questions like that! This is meant to be a secure group where we don’t have to be asked such crude and vile questions it’s--” began Susan before Gloria chimed in in an unnecessary and fumbled attempt to keep Sherlock’s cover.

“I don’t think that is very relevant to our discussion right now, Gabby. Don’t make me stick you on sober duty for the whole night.”

“You wouldn’t dare, Glor, not after last time.” Gloria turned a bit pink at this, curious…

“And anyway,” added Abdul, “he’s clearly an ace.” Sherlock turned to stare at him.

“An ace?” he asked, dropping his Sweet Innocent Eighteen Year Old act like an old coat.

“Yeah. That’s what you call yourselves right? Aces? You’re asexual, yeah?”

Sherlock had never even heard the term before, not outside a Biology textbook. He wasn’t sure if he was being likened to some sort of household plant or Snail, or if this was genuinely a label he might fit into…

“What’s asexual?” asked Sophie, the German Physics student on her Erasmus year.

“It’s someone who doesn’t experience sexual attraction to anyone at all, supposedly.” Susan muttered the last part under her breath; Sherlock didn’t hear it, his mind was too busy whirling around with all this new piece of knowledge, moving boxes into different rooms of his Mind Palace. Victor heard it though. He frowned and picked up Sherlock’s hand again.

“I don’t care what he is, so long as he’s mine.” And he placed a gentle kiss on Sherlock’s cheek. It turned a brighter shade of Pink.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sherlock discusses the progress he is making on the case with his sounding board whilst Victor contemplates what all of this means for them. Could fake boyfriends lead to actual boyfriends?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My thanks, once again, go to Allison (wearitcounts) for the Beta!

Sherlock had made a lot of progress from the meeting from 10 days ago. He and Victor had managed to speak to all the members, and it came down to two people: Gabby and Susan. There was more evidence supporting the case for Gabby to be the blackmailer; she was in the same year as Gloria, and had even been to the same College together. There were rumours surrounding their relationship. Some said they were rivals, others thought them friends or lovers, nobody could agree. Not even Sam seemed to know. 

“I met Gloria after she’d moved out of Halls,” he shrugged. “I know Gabby ran against her for Presidency, but she didn’t win because, well, you’ve seen how she is. She’s not the most PC of people.”

“Would she want to discredit Gloria though?” Asked Victor

“You mean about this business with the letters? Na, it’s not really her sort of thing. She calls a spade a spade. Then again,” he pondered, “this doesn’t sound like anything anyone would want to do. The society’s quite close knit, you know? We’ve all been through a lot to get here, so no one would want to any more harm now we’re Out and Proud.”

“Which of course you know all about as a heterosexual man,” Sherlock said crisply. Sam just laughed and walked away.

“You don’t think he did it, do you?” Asked Victor “Maybe he’s angry she doesn’t want to, I don’t know, have a threesome with him?”

“Perhaps…” pondered Sherlock. “Though he does seem genuinely attached to her, which is why he’s trying so hard to hide his drug habit. Strange though, he doesn’t exhibit the usual signs of a user, and I would know.”

Victor hated to be reminded of Sherlock’s drug habit. It had been before he’d known him. He sometimes tried to imagine a 16-year-old Sherlock, injecting himself with a 7% solution in the darkness of his father’s study, a study abandoned four months previously. He wished he could have been there, to care for Sherlock, to tell him he was brilliant, to show him other ways he could stimulate his brain. However, all he could do about that now was to be here for him in the present day, whatever he needed. 

In an attempt to change the subject, Victor said: “So, you think Gabriella’s the person sending the threats?”

“Unclear,” replied Sherlock, “this society is so full of secrets it’s hard to get through them all. Gabriella and Gloria clearly have history, but when I tried to raise it with Ms Scott she wouldn’t answer any of my questions, just said that she knew Gabriella wasn’t responsible, and that it must be someone else.” Sherlock flung himself on the sofa where Victor was sitting and placed his head in his lap, placing his hands under his chin in his usual thinking position. Sherlock had been showing a lot more physical attention towards him of late and Victor hoped it wouldn’t stop once the case was over. “I am, however, leaning more towards the idea that Susan could be behind this although what she’d have to gain from it I don’t know.”

“She does seem a bit icy, to me.”

“She hides it well but she’s certainly got some sort of issue with Sam in particular. True, he is the only heterosexual in the society, but he’s dating the president so…” he trailed off again, lost in thought.

“Well, I don’t trust Susan either, if that helps.”

Sherlock looked up at him from his position on the sofa “Why not? You’re usually so trusting. What’s your issue with her?”

Victor shrugged and resisted the urge to move an errant curl of hair out of Sherlock’s face “She just seems kinda, I don’t know, prejudice? I mean, I know she’s gay but she doesn’t seem all that accepting of people.” And by people he meant Sherlock; he hadn’t forgotten the way she’d spoken about Asexuality.

It seemed to be an appropriate term to describe Sherlock. He’d always accepted that Sherlock wasn’t interested in him, but perhaps, perhaps Sherlock would want to be after this? They were enjoying themselves, weren’t they? They were holding hands in public and going to meetings as a couple; all Victor wanted right now was to be able to continue doing that. If Sherlock was truly Asexual, then maybe Victor would have a shot after all. Continued cuddles on the sofa, romantic dinners by candle light and silly nicknames. No sex, just love. There was no shame in wishing for such a relationship, after all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sherlock takes action into his own hands and finally begins to slot all the pieces of all the puzzles together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My thanks, as usual, go to my wonderful beta, Wearitcounts <3
> 
> I hope you're all enjoying Series 3 and all the madness and emotions it is bringing us! I for one have sustained physical injury from so much flailing! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter ^^

The day of the ball was fast approaching, and the key piece of evidence as to who was responsible for the threats had yet to surface. He’d tried to find out the secret Gabriella had over Gloria, but nobody was willing to say anything. He could tell it was of a personal nature, was about a specific event in the girls lives that took place before they arrived at the University, but apart from that, he just didn’t have enough data. He’d have to confront Gloria head on.

He checked his watch; it was half three, she’d be on her way back from the SU now, taking a shortcut along the back alley which ran past Sherlock’s Halls. Victor wouldn’t be back from his lecture until five, but by that time Gloria would be gone then he’d have lost his chance to question her when off guard. He’d have to go without him. He wondered when he began to rely on Victor so much. Previously, he’d have just stormed off and completed the case alone, but this week, he’d found himself feeling much closer to Victor. He’d done some more research into Asexuality, and it seemed to make a lot of sense. He’d always assumed he’d just been an anomaly. His complete lack of sexual desire something that was wrong with him and him alone. So he’d tried to avoid all relationships so as not to hurt himself. People always expected relationships to lead to physical activities, but all Sherlock had ever wanted was someone to want to spend time with him, who wasn’t afraid of his intellect, someone to bounce ideas off of and to hold him close on ‘Danger Nights,’ as Mycroft called them. He’d thought this impossible, but he was beginning to realise that maybe that’s what Victor was doing. He knew Victor had always been interested in him romantically, but would Victor be willing to give up sex just to be with him? He took the thought and put them on a high shelf in his mind palace, to be looked upon at a later date (aka – never). For now, anyway, he had to focus on the case.

*

Looking back, maybe dramatically appearing out of the dark and ambushing the girl whilst she was walking home wasn’t the best idea he’d ever had. Whilst he’d been under the belief that scaring a person could make them accidentally reveal the truth, a blow to the back of the head with a bag filled with leather bound research books wasn’t what he was expecting. He staggered back against the wall, holding his head, giving a series muttered curses. “Why did you hit me!”

“Sherlock, is that you?” Asked the girl, protectively holding her bag to her chest. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“What are you and Gabby hiding?”

“You attacked me! Why did you attack me?”

“Answer the question!”

“You tired to fucking kill me you fucking psycho!”

Sherlock looked a bit terse at this. “I wasn’t trying to attack you, I was just trying to scare you into giving me the information I need. Information that I need in order to solve this case. Information that you are willfully holding from me.”

“You jumped out of the shadows!”

“Yes, I did, could you please stop repeating yourself, you are only further lowering my IQ, which has already been severely dented due to your use of violence upon me. So I ask again, what happened between you and Gabby?”

Gloria shifted awkwardly. “It doesn’t matter, she won’t be the one, she and I, she wouldn’t send this message, she’d be far more open about it if she was going to blackmail me about it. Don’t change the subject anyway what did you -” Sherlock fixed her with one of his icy stares, pinning her to the spot. She took a gulp of air. “Look. We were young. It was the summer after A Levels and it we were at a music festival. We found out we’d both been accepted to Cambridge so started talking. Gabby didn’t drink that night but I did and well.” Even in the dim light, Sherlock could tell she was blushing.

“You had sex.” He finished. Susan seemed to go a little pinker at this

“Well, I mean, yes but she was with this bloke called Gareth at the time. I was with this girl Anita.”

“Really, an affair, all this is over an affair that happened nearly three years ago?” He gave out an exasperated sigh, “ordinary people are truly dull.”

“It wasn’t an affair you idiot! We all, together, in the tent, you know,” she made a vague motion with her hands. “It’s not that, like, that kind of thing is bad or anything, it’s just a bit, embarrassing. Especially when you’re in a tent at a public event.” The blush now covered her entire face. “And Gabby was the one who suggested it, but I went along with it and just… it’s not the sort of thing I want getting out, okay? I don’t think Sam would approve and I don’t want that kind of reputation getting out there. That people who are attracted to more than one gender are only good for making up the numbers in an orgy.”

He narrowed his eyes a fraction. “There’s something else though, one more thing you’re not telling me.” He ran his eyes over her once more, taking everything in and remembering the little things he’d been able to catalogue about her in the past. “Oh. Anita. You feel guilty because of what happened to her. How old is he now?”

Gloria smiled. “Nelson is three, though I don’t see much of Anita anymore, she’s living with her Partner in Leatherhead, I think. So no, Sherlock, I don’t think Nelson or Gareth are the guy the letters are talking about.”

A sudden look of dawning realisation crossed the junior detective’s face. “The letters of course!” he snapped his fingers “How have I been so stupid. I spent all this time worrying about falling in love with Victor and my damn sexuality that I forgot about what was actually in those bloody letters. Of course they’re about Sam and you. You’re worried about bisexuality discrimination – correct?”

Gloria looked a bit lost at this. “What, you thought they were about someone else?”

“Answer the question woman--no, don’t bother, of course you are. LGBT rights are easy enough to fight for but internal discrimination, that’s another thing entirely! Oh don’t look like that, it’s common knowledge that grass roots change is the hardest to occur. So,” he started pacing now, “we’re looking for someone who discriminates against people based on their sexuality, yet is still a prominent enough member to be a challenge to your authority. Oh of course, it’s so obvious, but how do we prove it? Ah, Victor there you are, you got my text, I need you to--” he paused. Victor was standing in the alleyway looking at him strangely. Sherlock flicked his eyes over him. Oh. He said the bit about falling in love out loud, hadn’t he? Shit. He turned on his foot and ran in the opposite direction and away from Victor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess Sherlock talking about his feelings like that might be a little OOC, but I figure this is a Teen AU and thus is open for interpretation. 
> 
> I'm not sure how many more chapters there are to go, but I suspect it'll only be about two more, don't worry, the conclusion shall appear ;)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor and Sherlock deal with the fallout of the last chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this has taken so long to Post! A combination of reasons occurred, but I'm going to attempt to post a bit more regularly once I'm done with all the stuff I need to do for Uni over the holidays!

 

Did that just happen? Did Sherlock Holmes just admit that he – had Sherlock actually – did Sherlock just say that he was in love with him? Victor’s brain had short circuited. He knew that they’d certainly been getting closer over this case, but he just assumed that was Sherlock getting into character. He’d told him a hundred times that he was just not interested in being anything more than friends with Victor, and Victor had come to terms with that. Sherlock’s friendship was enough, but this was so much more, this was everything Victor had dreamed of, and the idiot had done a runner. Which wasn’t really a promising sign. Was that what love meant to Sherlock? Was the idea of being in love, in love with Victor, so utterly disgusting to him that he couldn’t even stand to look at him?

 

“Oh don’t tell me you’re an idiot as well?” sighed Gloria, shifting her bag further up on her shoulder.

 

“What, what do you mean?”

 

“I mean, it makes sense, two idiots in love unable to see the truth even when it’s staring them in the bloody face. You make a good match.”

 

“Look, if you want to stop quoting teen romance novels any time soon--”

 

“I mean, you two just won’t let yourselves be in love! It’s not difficult; if you let it, it can be one of the easiest things in the world. Look at Sam and me, do you think we’ve ever let anything stand in our way? Sure, things haven’t always been easy. He’s had to deal with a lot of stigma over the years, and that takes a strain on any relationship. We’ve had our fights, but in the end, we love each other no matter what, and that’s all that matters.”

 

Victor wasn’t sure what Gloria was talking about in regards to Sam; his drug abuse must be hard on them both, but it wasn’t really in the same league as Sherlock and Victor’s problem. “It’s not like that. You and Sam, you’re pretty simple. Boy and girl. A perfectly normal university couple.” Gloria raised her eyebrow at this a bit, but Victor ignored it. “I mean, at least Sam can admit his feelings for you. At least the very thought of being in love with you doesn’t make him so sick that he literally runs away from the very sight of you!”

 

“You really are an idiot,” she said, shaking her head, “he didn’t run because he was disgusted by the thought of being in love. He ran because he was afraid of it. He’s a kid, Victor. He’s a great big, swishy coat wearing genius but--”

 

“When it comes to emotions he’s still a little kid,” finished Victor. “So what do I do?”

 

Gloria shrugged. “That’s for you to decide. He’s your boyfriend, not mine.” And with that she pushed past him and headed on home, leaving Victor standing in the middle of the dark alleyway, with absolutely no clue what he was going to do. Only that it was going to involve him and Sherlock staying together.

 

*

 

Sherlock crouched in the shop doorway. It was late at night, the shops were closed and only the drunken shouts of students could be heard making their way around town, clutching bottles of vodka and buckets of fried chicken. It provided comforting background music for Sherlock’s musings. He knew who was responsible for the letters. He knew he was in love with Victor. What he didn’t know was how he was going to be able to confront either of these issues when they were both fighting for space in his head. The moment he allowed his mind to focus on the case, an image of Victor at the LGBT meeting would crop up and carry him away from the haven in his brain to the depths of his heart. A thought about the case would then occur to him and he would force his way out and climb back up to his mind; the process would then start all over again.

 

He considered just sleeping here. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d slept rough, after all. If he slept here, he wouldn’t have to face Victor. He could pretend he’d never said anything and that he was still as cut off from emotions as ever. All of this was just proving how distracting and unnecessary emotions were. They hadn’t served him well when his father had left and they weren’t helping him out now. Perhaps if he sat here for long enough, he could find a way of deleting the fact that he’d ever met Victor. Ever laughed with him or ate with him. Ever rested his head on Victor’s lap in order to think. He wished Victor were here now, he’d know what… and there was the problem. He’d become reliant on Victor without even realizing it; had fallen in love with him long before he’d known it was possible. He had all the facts now, but no idea what to do with them. Maybe this was just another puzzle to solve. Yes. If he looked at it like that, like a mystery that needed an answer, then he’d know what to do. He leant his head back against the shop door, placed his hands as though in prayer before his face and closed his eyes. An hour later he knew what to do. Well. Almost.

 

*

 

Victor had decided it was best to go back to the flat. Oh, he’d known where Sherlock was. He’d be in his usual haunt in front of the Londis where he went to when he needed space away from Halls and ‘the sheer amount of concentrated stupidity’ they held. However, he knew Sherlock well enough to let him be. When he was ready, he’d show himself again. Even if it was just to leave a note saying goodbye.

 

“Really, Victor, after all we’ve been through together, you really think me so cold hearted as to just leave a note?”

 

Victor looked up and, yes, it was him, standing in the doorway looking like nothing had happened at all.

 

“So you’ve come to say it in person then,” said Victor, squaring his shoulders back for the blow.  Sherlock’s brow furrowed

 

“No.” He looked away to the side quickly then back at Victor.“That is to say, I could never leave you, Victor. I couldn’t do that to you before, and I’m certainly not going to do it to you now.”

 

Victor hesitated and took a step forward. “Because you love me.”

 

“Because I display all the physiological indications that I have a strong romantic attraction towards you. Which you too appear to share.”

 

Victor giggled. “Because I love you.” He took a final step and leant in towards Sherlock. The younger boy raised a hand to stop him. He didn’t push him away as such, but the gesture was enough to halt him in his tracks.

 

“Sherlock?” he asked tentatively, “I thought you. Don’t you want us to…”

 

“No. No, I don’t.”

 

“Oh.” Victor took a few steps back and folded his arms. “So what are we doing then? I mean, I understand if you’re not sexually attracted to me, but can we never even touch? What’s the deal, Sherlock, because I need to know. You can’t shut me out anymore. If you want us to just go back to being friends after all this.” He sighed. “I don’t think I’ll be able to do that, if I’m entirely honest…”

 

Sherlock stood quietly through all this. He kept his facial expression blank and unreadable as always, but the last line appeared to hit home somewhat.

 

“I don’t know, Victor. I mean,” he sighed, “I think Abdul was right. I’m Asexual and--”

 

“And so what? Asexual people are still able to form romantic bonds. Still want to cuddle and kiss and--”

 

“Victor, you have to understand.” He sighed. “This is not something I’d ever calculated for. It’s going to take some consideration and in all honesty I haven’t got time for that right now. There’s still a case on, and that means no more distractions.”

 

“Oh. So I’m a distraction now.”

 

“Yes. Obviously. I haven’t been thinking straight since all of this started and it’s entirely your fault. I keep thinking about you and what you might be doing or what you might be feeling. Now that I’m so close to finishing the case and apprehending the criminal responsible, I just don’t want any further distractions. So can we just attend this dance, and we can work on this problem later?”

 

“Problem?”

 

Sherlock rolled his eyes “Conundrum, issue, puzzle, question, call it what you will. Can we just deal with it after the case?” He paused “You do still want to help me, I assume?”

 

Victor reached out and squeezed Sherlock’s hand. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” 


End file.
